Post by Catsmate on Dec 15, 2021 10:27:56 GMT
Baba Yaga.
To quote Wikipedia:
In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a supernatural being (or a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed or ferocious-looking old woman. In Slavic culture, Baba Yaga lived in a hut usually described as standing on chicken legs.
Baba Yaga may help or hinder those that encounter her or seek her out. She may play a maternal role and has associations with forest wildlife. According to Vladimir Propp's folktale morphology, Baba Yaga commonly appears as a donor, as a villain, or may be altogether ambiguous. Her depictions vary greatly across tales, ranging from a child-eating monster, to helping a protagonist find his missing bride.
Dr. Andreas Johns [folklorist, critic and author with the University of California] identifies Baba Yaga as "one of the most memorable and distinctive figures in eastern European folklore", and observes that she is "enigmatic" and often exhibits "striking ambiguity". Johns summarizes Baba Yaga as "a many-faceted figure, capable of inspiring researchers to see her as a Cloud, Moon, Death, Winter, Snake, Bird, Pelican or Earth Goddess, totemic matriarchal ancestress, female initiator, phallic mother, or archetypal image".
So, seemingly immortal, possesses a travelling hut that's vastly bigger on the inside, strange powers, uncertain motivations. Is she a Time Lady? Or some sort of time traveller. After all if 'Robert Knox' can acquire a TARDIS why not her? Perhaps she's a Scion of Gallifrey what 'went bad' and killed a Time Lord for their TARDIS?
The Hut of Baba Yaga.
Described in several ways, generally as a common hut, sometimes thatched. It can rise above the ground and lope around on giant chicken legs. Which is an interesting mode of travel and not one usually seen in the Whoniverse.
The hut is sometimes portrayed as being surrounded by a fence of bones, or poles topped with skulls1.
The inside is vastly larger; sometimes what seems to be the hut's interior is just an anteroom to the real interior2. There are a multitude of rooms, filled with all sorts of oddities, treasures and dangers.
It does sound to me like a TARDIS, an old one that was used by a researcher and perhaps decommissioned before being stolen by a renegade, or lost somewhere and found and sold by a dubious dealer or found by a fleeing Scion.
Personality.
Highly variable. In some tellings Baba Yaga is a murderous cannibal who cooks children for breakfast (and uses the bones of her victims to extend and repair her fence). In others she's helpful, if approached properly and treated well, and assists people in need. For a price of course.
Baba Yaga may be open to assisting someone (a group who needs certain information or an object, or a stranded time traveller) in exchange for their service for a period of time.
However in (almost) all the stories she has a bad temper and is rather duplicitous. Rare are the portrayals of Baba Yaga as benevolent or caring. She does not suffer fools lightly.
Be polite.
In some stories Baba Yaga meddles in the affairs of mortal humans and tampers with matters of fate, as if she were privy to the future.
Notes.
1. The hut is often staffed by a range of servants or various types. Perhaps creatures and robots acquired on her travels?
2. The story of Vasilisa the Beautiful has the eponymous heroine given a large doll that eats, talks and performs various task. A small robot of some sort? But who gave it to her (did her wealthy merchant father have off-world dealings?) and why?
3. Baba Yaga often flies in a device describes as a mortar and pestle, often in pursuit of victims or people who intrude on her privacy and steal from her. Some sort of flying machine? Other accounts have her riding the more stereotyped broomstick.
4. Baba Yaga is sometimes described as having very sharp (or iron) teeth5. She can bite through metal. Also her fingernails are hard and sharp. Her bite may inject poison.
5. Baba Yaga is sometimes portrayed as a guardian between the world of the living and the world of the dead or the Others. Her hut is a connection between these worlds.
6. Baba Yaga generally appears to be a obese, slovenly, woman of great age. She's still fast and strong and can change her appearance so maybe she has a shimmer or similar disguise.
7. She seems to appreciate politeness and courtesy and daring. Approach her carefully. But one hero who approached her for aid impressed her by complaining about her lack of hospitality.
8. One modern-day story has her using the alias 'Barbara Jagger'.
9. She may need to consume humans to survive, having extended her life. Or perhaps just their 'life force'6. Is she cursed with vampirism, or Artron induced chrono-genetic damage?
10. Baba Yaga is sometimes said to have created a number of (extremely beautiful) daughters scattered around. Is she continuing the experiment that created her? Oh and in some stories Baba Yaga consumes the life of those daughters.
11. The Daughters of Baba Yaga all appear as beautiful young women, all are brilliant and capable. All seem to have something twisted in their personalities. Perfect for a Mad Scientist link to Baba Yaga. Perhaps one (or several) are attempting to overthrow her?
Comments? Suggestions? Ideas?
1. She's not fond of idle visitors. The skulls usually had glowing eye sockets.
2. Like a TARDIS fitted with an atrium circuit.
3. Or whomever she stole the TARDIS from.
4. Notably including a T-55 tank.
5. Which reminds me I must finish my notes on the Iron Toothed Vampire of the Gorbals and the Great Glasgow Vampire Panic of 1954.
6. Another connection perhaps to the Master?
To quote Wikipedia:
In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a supernatural being (or a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed or ferocious-looking old woman. In Slavic culture, Baba Yaga lived in a hut usually described as standing on chicken legs.
Baba Yaga may help or hinder those that encounter her or seek her out. She may play a maternal role and has associations with forest wildlife. According to Vladimir Propp's folktale morphology, Baba Yaga commonly appears as a donor, as a villain, or may be altogether ambiguous. Her depictions vary greatly across tales, ranging from a child-eating monster, to helping a protagonist find his missing bride.
Dr. Andreas Johns [folklorist, critic and author with the University of California] identifies Baba Yaga as "one of the most memorable and distinctive figures in eastern European folklore", and observes that she is "enigmatic" and often exhibits "striking ambiguity". Johns summarizes Baba Yaga as "a many-faceted figure, capable of inspiring researchers to see her as a Cloud, Moon, Death, Winter, Snake, Bird, Pelican or Earth Goddess, totemic matriarchal ancestress, female initiator, phallic mother, or archetypal image".
So, seemingly immortal, possesses a travelling hut that's vastly bigger on the inside, strange powers, uncertain motivations. Is she a Time Lady? Or some sort of time traveller. After all if 'Robert Knox' can acquire a TARDIS why not her? Perhaps she's a Scion of Gallifrey what 'went bad' and killed a Time Lord for their TARDIS?
- Don't forget that one of the principal stories involving Baba Yaga, excluding the vats number of modern retellings, is The Death of Koschei the Deathless. Given that an early incarnation of the Time Lord who'd become the Master used the name 'Koschei' there's room for some speculation there.
The Hut of Baba Yaga.
Described in several ways, generally as a common hut, sometimes thatched. It can rise above the ground and lope around on giant chicken legs. Which is an interesting mode of travel and not one usually seen in the Whoniverse.
- At the risk of introducing a mundane note, the story of the chicken legs may have been inspired by stilted houses. Or by the idea of the 'domovina', a house for the dead with no doors or windows.
The hut is sometimes portrayed as being surrounded by a fence of bones, or poles topped with skulls1.
The inside is vastly larger; sometimes what seems to be the hut's interior is just an anteroom to the real interior2. There are a multitude of rooms, filled with all sorts of oddities, treasures and dangers.
- There are a couple of D&D descriptions of the hut's interior; all fill it with traps, servants of dubious reliability and stuff that Baba Yaga3 has acquired4.
It does sound to me like a TARDIS, an old one that was used by a researcher and perhaps decommissioned before being stolen by a renegade, or lost somewhere and found and sold by a dubious dealer or found by a fleeing Scion.
Personality.
Highly variable. In some tellings Baba Yaga is a murderous cannibal who cooks children for breakfast (and uses the bones of her victims to extend and repair her fence). In others she's helpful, if approached properly and treated well, and assists people in need. For a price of course.
Baba Yaga may be open to assisting someone (a group who needs certain information or an object, or a stranded time traveller) in exchange for their service for a period of time.
However in (almost) all the stories she has a bad temper and is rather duplicitous. Rare are the portrayals of Baba Yaga as benevolent or caring. She does not suffer fools lightly.
Be polite.
In some stories Baba Yaga meddles in the affairs of mortal humans and tampers with matters of fate, as if she were privy to the future.
Notes.
1. The hut is often staffed by a range of servants or various types. Perhaps creatures and robots acquired on her travels?
2. The story of Vasilisa the Beautiful has the eponymous heroine given a large doll that eats, talks and performs various task. A small robot of some sort? But who gave it to her (did her wealthy merchant father have off-world dealings?) and why?
3. Baba Yaga often flies in a device describes as a mortar and pestle, often in pursuit of victims or people who intrude on her privacy and steal from her. Some sort of flying machine? Other accounts have her riding the more stereotyped broomstick.
4. Baba Yaga is sometimes described as having very sharp (or iron) teeth5. She can bite through metal. Also her fingernails are hard and sharp. Her bite may inject poison.
5. Baba Yaga is sometimes portrayed as a guardian between the world of the living and the world of the dead or the Others. Her hut is a connection between these worlds.
6. Baba Yaga generally appears to be a obese, slovenly, woman of great age. She's still fast and strong and can change her appearance so maybe she has a shimmer or similar disguise.
7. She seems to appreciate politeness and courtesy and daring. Approach her carefully. But one hero who approached her for aid impressed her by complaining about her lack of hospitality.
8. One modern-day story has her using the alias 'Barbara Jagger'.
9. She may need to consume humans to survive, having extended her life. Or perhaps just their 'life force'6. Is she cursed with vampirism, or Artron induced chrono-genetic damage?
10. Baba Yaga is sometimes said to have created a number of (extremely beautiful) daughters scattered around. Is she continuing the experiment that created her? Oh and in some stories Baba Yaga consumes the life of those daughters.
11. The Daughters of Baba Yaga all appear as beautiful young women, all are brilliant and capable. All seem to have something twisted in their personalities. Perfect for a Mad Scientist link to Baba Yaga. Perhaps one (or several) are attempting to overthrow her?
Comments? Suggestions? Ideas?
1. She's not fond of idle visitors. The skulls usually had glowing eye sockets.
2. Like a TARDIS fitted with an atrium circuit.
3. Or whomever she stole the TARDIS from.
4. Notably including a T-55 tank.
5. Which reminds me I must finish my notes on the Iron Toothed Vampire of the Gorbals and the Great Glasgow Vampire Panic of 1954.
6. Another connection perhaps to the Master?
